I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 53: Mage Armor

In an open space outside Grayrock Town.

Gauss clenched his staff and closed his eyes to focus his mind.

He continuously communicated with the new spell imprinted in his consciousness - Mage Armor.

One advantage of spells rewarded by the Adventurer's Manual was that compared to other apprentices learning skills, it saved significant introductory time.

It felt as if he had already mastered this skill before, and was now simply recalling past experience.

According to information Gauss gathered from the Night Owl Squad and others, normally it would take others several months to go from zero to barely being able to cast a spell's effects after obtaining a skill book.

As for achieving proficiency, ordinary apprentices like them would need years of practice.

But Gauss required much less time from initial learning to proficiency, giving him a head start.

Benefiting from the Adventurer's Manual's effects, his first two spells - Mage Hand and Magic Missile - didn't take long to progress from lv1 to lv2.

Closing his eyes in concentration, Gauss reviewed Mage Armor's contents several times mentally.

He recalled some knowledge from Andni's notes he had read recently.

Each spell represented an independent magical effect.

These effects could create convenient tools, weapons, damage, protective barriers, and more, broadly categorized into eight schools:

Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation.

The Mage Hand and Magic Missile Gauss already mastered belonged to Conjuration and Evocation respectively.

The Mage Armor he was about to practice fell under Abjuration.

This spell's target could be either himself or other creatures he touched.

But casting on others required more experience and had less noticeable effects than self-casting.

Successful casting would envelop the target in a protective magical field.

After briefly reviewing his memories, Gauss began formal practice.

"Mage Armor!"

Gauss concentrated on channeling magic within his body.

The spell imprint in his consciousness stirred slightly.

There was feedback!

A somewhat relieved expression appeared on Gauss's face.

Finding that sudden spark of sensation on the first attempt meant this spell wouldn't be too difficult to practice.

Any reaction was good feedback.

"Again!"

"Mage Armor!"

......

Gauss tried several times consecutively.

He felt the spell was on the verge of "bursting forth."

Of course, spellcasting had little to do with actually shouting the spell's name.

But casting required extreme concentration, and verbalization served as direct psychological reinforcement, helping achieve the correct mental state quickly.

Many might relate to the experience of trying not to think about something, only for the mind to uncontrollably fixate on it.

Focusing single-mindedly on something without distraction sounded simple but was actually quite complex, especially when unfamiliar with the subject.

Thus specific verbal or physical guidance was very necessary.

Even with his relatively proficient Mage Hand and Magic Missile, Gauss would silently recite them during casting to ensure focus.

After a short break,

Gauss took a deep breath, feeling he was just one step away.

He patted his cheeks to refresh his spirit.

"Mage Armor!"

His consciousness sent commands throughout his body as the Mage Armor meditation imprint flickered faintly.

Magic within him surged rapidly.

"Buzz!"

This time, his magic smoothly gathered at the Bone Staff before releasing waves that merged with natural magic at his body's surface.

As magic was consumed, a layer of magical protective field finally formed.

"1st-level spell Mage Armor lv1 (1/10)"

"Success."

Gauss sighed in relief.

Once successfully cast, Mage Armor didn't require special concentration - already formed, it only needed some mental upkeep.

Being able to sense his own magic, Gauss clearly felt the mysterious field protecting him.

Yet it wasn't tangible protection like leather or iron armor.

Hesitating briefly, Gauss took out his dagger.

He carefully drew the blade across his finger.

"Buzz!"

As he attempted this attack, the magical field around him vibrated slightly.

Where blade met finger, only faint white light flickered briefly with no other reaction.

The edge seemed to cut not flesh but an invisible, extremely thin yet tough membrane.

Admittedly this description wasn't entirely accurate, but Gauss couldn't find better words.

"No bleeding, no damage whatsoever." Gauss examined his fingertip with excitement. "Such obvious effects!"

This was the magical effect of protective spells.

They might not grant greater strength, create objects, or deceive minds.

But they could safeguard targets, providing ample security.

"The protective field seems slightly weakened." Gauss concluded after careful observation.

Attacks would be negated by Mage Armor, but the spell's power would also diminish accordingly.

Perfectly reasonable.

One couldn't expect Mage Armor to withstand all damage indefinitely - like all magic, it had limits.

So even with Mage Armor, recklessness was unwise.

Relying solely on its protection to tank damage was clearly foolish.

Especially since his current Mage Armor proficiency was lacking, making caution even more necessary.

Avoidable attacks should still be dodged.

This would prevent unnecessary erosion of Mage Armor's protection, preserving it for truly unavoidable attacks.

Gauss remained logically clear-headed.

"Next I need to test Mage Armor's damage threshold."

Understanding his spells' limits was essential.

Only with clear knowledge could he judge which attacks were endurable in real combat, and which were not.

Leading to wiser combat decisions.

After the first "self-harm" test and personally experiencing Mage Armor's effects, Gauss grew more confident.

He decisively drew the blade across his hand again.

Previously, this would have caused severe bleeding.

But now, the blade only met that invisible barrier after faint white light flickered, ultimately causing no damage.